Base metals have been rallying sharply over the last three months and a number of stocks in the industry have seen huge gains. Steel prices have been rising and it has taken steel stocks higher with it. The stocks have seen small pullbacks in the last month and that may be creating a buying opportunity.
On December 29, Tickeron’s A.I.dvisor generated bullish signals on two steel companies and the confidence levels of those two signals were extremely high. The AI trend prediction tool generated a bullish signal on Nucor Corp. (NUE) and on US Steel (X). The confidence level for the Nucor signal was 90% and the confidence level on the signal for US Steel was 88%. These signals are for the next month.
Looking at the daily charts for the two stocks we see very different paths higher. For Nucor, the rally has been pretty consistent since the low in March, and it has been even more consistent in the last five months with a trend channel forming. The stock has just bounced off of the lower rail of the channel and support at its 50-day moving average.
We also see that the daily stochastic indicators are in oversold territory and are in the process of making a bullish crossover.
US Steel’s chart isn’t quite as consistent. We see that the stock rallied from March through mid-June before falling. From late June through mid-September the stock was range bound. The stock really took off though and from late September through early December it gained over 190%. The stock peaked at $20 on December 9 and then pulled back for a few weeks.
We see that the pullback in US Steel caused its daily stochastic indicators to drop sharply and they went from overbought to oversold. The indicators, like we saw with Nucor, are in the process of making a bullish crossover.
I have to be honest, these signals are based almost exclusively on technical factors because neither of the companies have very good fundamental ratings. On the Tickeron Fundamental Analysis Screener, Nucor has two positive indicators and two negative indicators with three neutral readings. US Steel only has one positive indicator and one neutral indicator, the other five are negative readings.
The Tickeron scorecard gives both stocks a “sell” rating, but the scorecard ratings are looking out beyond the next month and they rely on fundamental factors more heavily. The one fundamental indicator where both companies receive a positive reading is the Valuation Rating. Nucor scores an 8 and US Steel scores a 27.
The comparison feature from Tickeron shows how the companies compare to one another and how they stack up against other stacks based on the scores from both the fundamental indicators and the technical indicators.
X moved below its 50-day moving average on March 11, 2024 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend. In of 26 similar past instances, the stock price decreased further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Stochastic Oscillator entered the overbought zone. Expect a price pull-back in the foreseeable future.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for X turned negative on March 12, 2024. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 49 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 49 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .
The 10-day moving average for X crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on March 13, 2024. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 14 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where X declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The RSI Indicator points to a transition from a downward trend to an upward trend -- in cases where X's RSI Oscillator exited the oversold zone, of 30 resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on March 27, 2024. You may want to consider a long position or call options on X as a result. In of 83 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where X advanced for three days, in of 304 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
X may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In of 254 cases where X Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are .
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly undervalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (0.830) is normal, around the industry mean (1.414). P/E Ratio (11.455) is within average values for comparable stocks, (17.342). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.000) is also within normal values, averaging (4.440). Dividend Yield (0.005) settles around the average of (0.045) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (0.577) is also within normal values, averaging (3.618).
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 68, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. X’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
a manufacture of integrated steel products
Industry Steel